Disney CEO Bob Iger is pivoting the company’s properties away from promoting
social justice
agendas in response to
consumer backlash
, according to recent reports.
Iger,
lamenting
the overt political tenor of recent
Disney
projects, is pushing the company not to feature identity issues such as race, gender, and sexuality as plot centerpieces in its next slate of films. The Disney boss wants the studio to focus on creating entertaining films over cultural messages.
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While ethnic diversity and left-wing social agendas in films are considered a bonus, according to Iger, they should be sidenotes.
Iger’s decision to
move the company away
from divisive social agendas comes as the studio has endured a series of high-budget critical and
box office
failures such as Strange World, Lightyear, and The Little Mermaid live-action film. These films, among several others, heavily leaned into the so-called “diversity” of their lead characters.
The Little Mermaid
remake infamously race-swapped Ariel — trading in the character’s iconic silky red hair for dreadlocks. Though Halle Bailey, the African American woman chosen to play Ariel, crafted a charming performance and mesmerized with her angelic singing voice, audiences rejected the blatant virtue signaling her casting represented and refused to support the film.
Likewise,
Strange World
and
Lightyear
earned headlines prior to their release over the inclusion of LGBT characters. While I would not argue that Disney should never include LGBT people in their films or that LGBT characters make a film “woke,” one may guess whether Disney placed gay characters in their films to cover for their
shoddy quality
. Though praised for its inclusion of strong female characters and a gay lead, Strange World was
panned
for “unfunny dialogue and a needlessly complicated storyline.” Guardian
lamented
the “disappointingly pedestrian” plot of Lightyear.
Moreover, Disney’s supposed commitment to spreading LGBT acceptance rings hollow when for foreign audiences, it
cuts portions of its films
related to characters’ sexuality.
Disney’s commitment to woke ideology has also harmed the company’s relationship with its workers, creating an army of social justice warriors. Disney workers staged a series of internal revolts and walkouts in 2022 after the company initially declined to weigh in on Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act. The company eventually relented to their demands, roiling its
relationship with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
and endangering Disney World’s special status within the state.
DeSantis pointed to Disney’s left-wing programming as justification for his decision to punish the company.
“Well, I’ll tell you, as parents of 6-, 5- and 3-year-old kids, my wife and I really believe that parents should be able to send their kids to school and watch cartoons without having an agenda shoved down their throat,” DeSantis said in an
interview
with pundit Clay Travis. “That’s why we stood up to Disney with respect to our parents rights and education bill. And I think that it is impacting parents’ willingness to want to take their kids to the Disney stuff.”
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The antidote to Disney’s current box-office struggles is crystal clear: stop infusing every movie and show with overt political agendas. While having “diverse” characters could represent societal progress toward a truly inclusive society, showcasing their identities as a main focal point is nothing short of insulting.
Corey Walker is a Washington, D.C.-based reporter who focuses on institutional capture, education, and public safety.
